$1.3B Concourse D Expansion Breaks Ground at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport

Chicago has broken ground on the new Concourse D at O’Hare International Airport with AECOM Hunt Clayco Bowa serving as the construction manager at-risk for the $1.3-billion project that includes $300 million in infrastructure work.

The project, one part of ORDNext, a $8.5-billion O’Hare 21 Terminal Area expansion and modernization project launched in 2018, is being designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), in collaboration with Ross Barney Architects, Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects (JGMA), and Arup.

The new Concourse D is planned to have 19 new gates designed for narrow-body aircraft, with the flexibility to adapt 18 of those gates into nine larger gates that can accommodate wide-body planes. Amenities would include more than 20,000 sq ft of lounge space, 30,000 sq ft of commercial space, and a 450-sq-ft children’s play area.

The plan also includes approximately $300 million in infrastructure improvements, such as a new central cooling facility located in the center of the airfield, along with pavement and utility work.

“These improvements will minimize aircraft taxi times, optimize gates and keep travelers moving along to their global destinations,” said Chicago Dept. of Aviation Commissioner Michael McMurray during an Aug. 18 groundbreaking.

A 40-ft-high atrium-like space connecting the building’s three levels is planned at the northern end of the 590,000 sq-ft concourse and would feature an oculus allowing daylight into the levels below. Concourse D also is planned to have tree-like structural columns, a nod to the apple orchard that once stood on the airport site

Additional projects to be realized through ORDNext include demolition of Terminal 2 and replacing it with the O’Hare Global Terminal, constructing a second satellite concourse, Concourse E, with 24 gates, and building a new underground tunnel to connect passengers, airport employees, and baggage operations between the expanded facilities.

The $300 million Elevate T3 project, intended to introduce new amenities, security screening areas and accessibility for passengers with disabilities in the 85-gate Terminal 3, is also part of the overall plan. As ENR reported previously, the construction manager at-risk is COT3, a joint venture of Clark Construction Group LLC and W.E. O’Neil Construction Co. Construction of ElevateT3 is slated to be completed in 2027.

Upgrades to Terminal 5 also are underway and include a planned 10-gate eastern extension and a new six-story parking garage.

Site preparation work for Concourse D began in 2023, including construction of temporary taxiways, a new grade-separated roadway, the reconfiguration of Taxiway B, and three temporary gates added to Concourse C, which opened last year. Major construction began in July, starting with the demolition of existing taxiways. Approximately six months of excavation is expected, setting the stage for vertical construction to begin in spring 2026.

“With the improvements we are making at Concourse D alone we are generating more than 3,800 construction jobs that creates a ripple effect across Chicago’s entire community,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said at the groundbreaking.

O’Hare had more than 8 million passengers in June 2025—the highest June total in its 70-year history and the second-busiest month ever, according to the city. 

While ORDNext was launched in 2018, McMurray said planning has been going on for much longer. 

“Airport planning is not for the next year, it’s for the next generation,” he said. “If you’re not planning ahead then you are falling behind the curve.”

Construction bid opportunities for Concourse D are available.

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